Romans 16:18, commentary and pictures

Romans 16:18 describes those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to doctrine already learned as serving not Christ but themselves and their own appetites and interests, working by pleasing, smooth and flattering speech to deceive the hearts of the simple and unwary who lack discernment. It commands that such persons be marked and avoided, with confidence and fellowship withdrawn and separation from those who persist in divisive wrongdoing. The warning applies especially to false teachers arising even in the midst of God's people, who creep in unawares with seductive tact, skillful misrepresentation and mingling of false theories, and to lofty profession that excuses sin while claiming freedom from obedience to God's law. Against this manifold concealed danger believers in an enemy's country must be constantly on guard, watchful and prayerful and close to Christ, being wise toward what is good and simple concerning evil. In contrast, those fit to teach must first learn from Christ and be sanctified by obedience to the truth, becoming consecrated self-denying channels who do not speak smooth flattering words but stand in defense of the truth.

Identity and Tactics

The verse describes those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine already learned, and it identifies them as serving not Jesus Christ but self, their own belly, appetites and interests. Their service is driven by self-interest rather than loyalty to Christ, opposing what believers have learned while supposing themselves fitted to counsel and teach others when they still need to learn truth themselves. Their work is building on a sandy foundation, and it belongs to the dangers of the present time in carrying out Satan's working to lead men and women to deny the faith.

Their method is pleasing, smooth, fair, flattering and persuasive speech, difficult in its smooth fair-sounding form to understand or interpret, by which they mislead trusting believers and deceive the hearts of the simple. Those deceived are the unsuspecting and unwary, especially those who lack discernment and the mind of God, whose hearts are won by good words and fair speeches. Such smooth speech is used by spiritualistic teachers who call obedience to God's law bondage and promise freedom to violate it while themselves overcome by Satan and enslaved to sin.

The verse commands that such dividers be marked and avoided, with caution expressed in being swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath. Avoidance means withdrawal of confidence and fellowship from every seductive influence, refusing confidence to one long in error even when he claims to be misunderstood or claims to surrender without evidence of surrender, for the sake of eternal welfare. It grounds the responsibility of the church to separate from fellowship those who persist in divisive wrongdoing, while believers continue in obedience, wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil, realizing accountability under the eye of an all-seeing God.

Varied Deceptive Efforts

Romans 16:18 exposes spiritualistic teachers who serve their own sinful appetites rather than Christ and use smooth, fair, flattering words to deceive the unwary. They call obedience to God's law bondage and promise freedom to violate it, especially the seventh commandment, offering liberty to indulge sin. Yet while promising liberty they are themselves overcome by Satan and enslaved to sin, and they lead others into the same rebellion against God's law and the same bondage.

The same verse applies where lofty religious profession and talk of love, charity, and spiritual attainment conceal an evil influence. Such talk does not make teaching safe when it excuses sin or leads away from truth, and smooth words and fair speeches then produce misplaced confidence in persons lacking discernment. Being void of discernment and without the mind of God leaves one open to that deception, resulting in too great confidence in men of defective character who serve self rather than Christ. Their influence is not a sweet-smelling savor, their natural traits are woven into all they do and say and mar the work of God, they cannot build up the cause, they imperil souls if entrusted with responsibility, and they are unfitted to lead the flock.

It also identifies self-serving teachers whose smooth, fair-sounding language is difficult to understand or interpret. Their words take up the minds of hearers and divert them from studying eternal truths and from proclaiming the messages God has sent to a fallen world. This robs rapidly passing precious time that should be given to God's work, a diversion that pleases Satan. The same deceptive speech is used to evade reproof, defend wrongdoing, and discourage repentance, confession, and humility before God even among those open to light. It is further used in soft words and fair speeches to bind people into associations, unions, and confederacies that bring difficulty and trial to others, oppressing others and placing yokes upon fellow men, contrary to the Lord whose will and mission is to break every yoke and let the oppressed go free.

The verse applies to those who promote a message of their own while claiming divine guidance and who work to tear down what God has built. They are aligned with the deceiver, and their teaching is not to be trusted or received even when they quote religious writings to lend it influence, so believers are to turn away and have no fellowship with their message. It exposes false teachers arising in the very midst of God's people, giving heed to seducing spirits whose doctrines are of satanic origin. They do not serve Christ but serve self, supposing themselves fitted to counsel and teach while still needing to learn truth and thus building on a sandy foundation, and they are to be marked and avoided. Creeping in unawares, they mingle false theories with every phase of experience, and by flattering words, skillful misrepresentations, pleasing persuasive speech, and seductive tact they work to captivate every mind not rooted and grounded in full knowledge of the Word and to draw away disciples after themselves.

The verse describes the Lord's worst enemies as serving not Jesus Christ but themselves and their master Satan, working out his artifice by smooth, flattering speech to deceive the hearts of the simple and win their love and favor as brothers. Those deceived are guardians and leaders devoid of the Spirit of God who feel harmony with these enemies because they hold the highest opinion of their own opinions and plans. They feel no need for counsel at every step, constant watchfulness and prayer, walking humbly with God, and learning meekness and lowliness from Christ, and they want no discerning eyes to see and sense wrong. The result is daily dishonor to God, unheeded warnings and reproofs, and only a pretense and form of religion while casting God's words behind them.

The enemy keeps his hold through such seductive influence, and for eternal welfare believers must withdraw from every such influence. No confidence should be given to one long in error even when he claims to be misunderstood or claims to surrender without evidence of surrender, because misleading teachers keep their hold by smooth flattering speech that wins confidence and deceives simple hearts to eternal injury. The enemy works through human agencies to deceive even the elect, repeating the danger by which sympathy was drawn toward the great deceiver among the loyal angels in heaven. Believers face manifold such enemies who are not open and avowed but come with smooth words and fair speeches to deceive the unsuspecting, seeking if possible to deceive even the very elect. For Satan comes both through concealed snares and as an openly threatening adversary, working through worldly entanglements, error, and superstition to win Christ's followers from Him, so Christians must stay alert, watchful, and on guard lest they be drawn from Christ and the path of humility.

Faithful Response Required

Believers live in an enemy's country and must therefore be constantly on guard, watchful and prayerful against unexpected attack. Smooth words and persuasive, fair speeches driven by self-interest rather than loyalty to Christ can mislead the unsuspecting, so alertness keeps souls from being drawn away from Christ and the path of humility. Safety lies in keeping close to Christ in self-denial, with His grace and Spirit to detect and withstand Satan's deceptions, which come both through concealed snares and as an openly threatening adversary working through worldly entanglements, error and superstition to win followers from Him and if possible to deceive even the very elect.

The required response is obedience, being wise toward what is good and innocent and simple concerning evil. Caution is expressed in being swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath, marking and avoiding dividers who serve not Christ but self and their own appetites and who deceive trusting hearts with pleasing, persuasive, flattering speech. All in responsible positions must realize their accountability under the eye of an all-seeing God, and obedience made known with wisdom unto good and simplicity concerning evil brings change. The church bears responsibility to withdraw confidence and fellowship and to separate from those who persist in divisive wrongdoing contrary to doctrine already learned.

This belongs to the dangers of the present time, in which Satan works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to lead men and women to deny the faith. Watchmen in God's cause must therefore earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, holding fast the evidence and standing in defense of the truth. In contrast to those who suppose themselves fitted to counsel and teach while still needing to learn truth and who build on a sandy foundation, those fit to teach must first learn from the great Teacher and ask to be taught His way. They are sanctified by obedience to the truth, become Christlike in thought, word and deed, bring habits, practices and ideas into conformity to the Word, stand in defense of the truth, and are established by God according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ for the obedience of faith.

God's true workers are the opposite of the self-serving deceivers, being consecrated, self-denying channels through whom God communicates with His people and through them with the world. Receiving the Spirit of Christ the greatest Missionary, they reveal power from God, and therefore they do not speak smooth flattering words and do not fill the minds of hearers with vanity. This contrast matters because Satan's masterly deception is now working upon both ministers and people.